Guidance of a Ghost
by Jaylonni Love
Summary: Featured story for May 2011 on Eternal Destiny. CU. A 4 part piece about the guidance Kagome and InuYasha acquire in their final days apart from the mis-fortunate Miko, Kikyou. Told in 1,000 word chapters in their points of view.
1. Chapter 1

Walking down the long path to the well, I stopped at the Goshinboku tree and looked up into it's high branches. Sunlight beamed down through the leaves giving the forest a green light. I stopped and placed my hand on the scar in the bark of the tree where I had been sealed for fifty years. This was the place I had first met Kagome. We didn't meet on the greatest of terms that day. I had accused her of being Kikyou so much it actually pissed her off. A small chuckle sounded from my being as I remembered that day. I was so ready to take the Shikon No Tama and become a full blooded demon. What happened? Oh that's right, Kagome. I don't know how but somehow, she made her way into my heart and changed me so drastically, I no longer sought the jewel to be a complete demon. Now all I wanted was her.

She had told me that she loved me the way that I was...as a half demon. She was the first person to actually accept me for what I am and not shun me like so many others. Somehow she had managed to see through the human and demon blood that courses through my veins to the actual being, to my soul. Something even Kikyou had failed to do. With a sigh, I removed my hand from the old wood and made my way to the well.

"_Kagome_," I thought as I stood over the well peering down into the inky darkness of the perforation.

I could distinctly remember that tragic day she was taken from me.

_"A Meido?" I said glancing at the opening black hole._

_Running to catch her, I heard Kagome scream my name. Our hands almost touched as I reached forward to grab her, but it was too late. The Meido closed and I fell to the ground, dirt spewing from my mouth. _

It had already been three years since she had returned to her home. Three years that I had been alone. Three years since I had entered the jewel and saved Kagome from being condemned to being forever stuck in the jewel and becoming the Shikon Miko. Then the thought of never seeing _my_ Kagome again plagued my mind and enervated me. A single tear rolled down my cheek and fell towards the well but stopped. Confused, I looked up into the eyes of...Kikyou's ghost.

Jumping back, I stared at her, shock evident in my features.

"InuYasha," she said, a small smile ornamenting her idiosyncrasy.

"Kikyou?" I said, the shock more evident in my voice than anything else. "How?"

"I came only to speak to you," she said, her smile never fading from her lips. "You have been upset about Kagome, have you not?"

"Yes," I said slowly nodding my head, "but how would you know that?"

"It is simple InuYasha," Kikyou said, amusement playing in her voice, "I see all. For the past three years you've come to this well once every three days and jump in to see if you can make it to the other side. So far you have not been successful, have you?"

"Not at all," I said looking down into the well again. "It seems like the fabrics of time have mended and we are meant to be apart forever. Kagome in her world and me in mine."

"It doesn't have to be like that, InuYasha," she said, her voice sharp as she turned to look me in my eyes.

I was taken aback by her response. It didn't have to be that way? The hell did she mean by that? The proof was right there. I'm not able to cross over and see Kagome so how can it be any different?

"What do you mean, Kikyou," I asked, my voice sounding colder than I had intended for it to but at the moment I didn't care. She was making no sense what so ever.

"I mean that the well will soon open again," Kikyou said flatly, staring at me as if she could see right through me.

Again, I looked at her like she had lost it. If the well hadn't opened for me to pass through in the last three years then why would it open now? It made no sense. I'd really have to think about this when I was alone to actually make it logical.

"Yes I know it sounds impossible," Kikyou said looking down into the well shaft again. "But Kagome will once again be in your embrace. You just have to give it a little time. It won't be you that goes to her, but her that comes to you."

"Okay so say that your theory does work," I said folding my arms over my chest. "Will the well close again?"

"It is likely," she said looking over at the Goshinboku tree. "I can not guarantee that Kagome will return as soon as tomorrow but she will be back. That much you have to believe."

"Kikyou," I said touching her shoulder which to my surprise was solid, "thank you."

"You are welcome InuYasha," she said smiling before she disappeared all together.

Staring at where she had been standing in awe for some time, I decided to return to the village. Maybe Kaede would have some answers for me. Starting the trek back to the village, I watched the sights around me, my mind wondering back to Kagome as I thought about what she could be doing.

Entering the village, I continued to think about Kagome as I made my way to Kaede's hut.


	2. Chapter 2

I stood under the Goshinboku tree at my family shrine. It's been three years since the well closed and I was sent back here. We had defeated Naraku and destroyed the jewel. That wasn't the bad part though. It was when I lost InuYasha. I had turned around to thank him for saving me but as I did so, he was disappearing. For three months straight I tried to jump into the well everyday to see if I could make to the other side of the well. No such luck.

Sighing I sat down under the shade of the large, old tree. There's only two weeks to graduation and without that to keep me busy, I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe I can get a job.

"UGH!" I shouted pushing out the frustration that I was felling. "Why did this have to happen? Why me? What have I ever done to deserve this? Can you tell me that?"

"Kagome calm down," came a voice that sounded familiar to me.

Confused I looked around the shrine grounds trying to locate the source of the voice. When I didn't see anyone I sighed.

"Maybe I'm losing my mind," I said.

"That may be a factor," came the voice again.

"Who are you," I said standing up from my seat on the bench looking around the shrine grounds again. "I can hear you but I don't see you."

"Maybe if you turn around it will help," the voice said.

Slowly turning, I was shocked by what I saw. There standing in front of me was Kikyou. But how? I thought that she had died after that battle with Naraku. Has she been brought back once again? Can't her soul have any rest.

"No Kagome I can't," she said stepping through the stone bench to stand directly in front of me.

"You can't what?" I asked confused by her sudden reply.

"My soul can't rest until you are back with InuYasha," Kikyou said.

How did she know what I was thinking?

"How did you know what I was thinking?" I asked aloud stepping closer to her.

"The question was in your eyes." Kikyou said simply as she sat on the bench and patted the spot beside her.

Causiously I took the spot beside her and looked into her eyes.

"Kikyou," I said never turning my gaze from her, "why are you here?"

"That is a very good question," Kikyou said folding her hands in her lap. "I came to tell you that you will soon be able to return to InuYasha. I can not tell you exactly when but you will."

"Wait a minute," I said holding my hand up for her to stop, "how do you know this?"

She laughed holding a hand to her mouth then said, "You and InuYasha truly are made for each other. He asked me the exact same question."

"InuYasha?" I said, my eyes growing wide. "You saw him? Is he okay? He's not hurt is he?"

"No, Kagome," Kikyou said placing a pale hand on mine which was warm as if she were alive, "he's not hurt. He's just fine actually. And he misses you dearly."

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes when she told me that he was okay. So nothing bad has happened to him in the last 3 years. Good. I'm glad. A small smile spread across my face as I looked at the miko beside me who was gazing at the Goshinboku. Then the question sparked.

"Kikyou," I said gaining her attention again, "how did you get here?"

"When you're a ghost you can travel through time," she said smiling. "I came only to tell you that you'll return to InuYasha soon. But I must warn you, there is no guarantee that the well will remain open for you to continue to travel through time. When you leave here, it may be for forever. Just make sure that you're making the right choice."

"I will," I said smiling back at her, "thank you Kikyou."

"You are welcome Kagome," she said as she disappeared.

I smiled as I stood and touched the old Tree of Ages. Running my hands over the spot where I had first seen InuYasha when he was pinned to the tree, so many memories raced back into my head. The day that Kikyou had pushed me back down the well when we fought that moth demon. I can't even remember his name now it's been so long. I remember touching the tree and being able to talk to InuYasha as if I were standing right in front of him. Almost as if I could have reached out and touched him that day.

Then the memories of all the time we spent fighting each other by this tree and all the times I had ran home because I caught him with Kikyou. Back then it had broken my heart but now I can somewhat understand why he had done it. Kikyou was his first love. She was the first person who had ever showed him kindness. She also was the first person that he had decided he wanted to settle down with. That is, until Naraku came into the picture. He tore them apart making them think that they had betrayed each other.

Then I came into the picture fifty years later. That's when everything changed, forever.

Removing my hand from the tree, I walked into the well house and peered down into the inky darkness.

"InuYasha," I said down into the shaft, "I'll be seeing you again, soon."


	3. Chapter 3

Waking up today was hell. It had been three weeks since Kikyou's visit and still there was no sign of Kagome returning. Honestly, I was considering giving up on Kikyou's spoken prophecy I had been told.

Again, I walked through the forest of InuYasha to the Goshinboku tree. As I progressed closer and closer to the three, flashbacks of my times with Kagome came to me. It was strange in a sense, but also very comforting at the same time. I remember the second time we battled Sesshomaru over the damn Tetsuseiga. Bastard had gotten a human arm from Naraku since he couldn't touch the sword without getting the shit shocked out of him.

Kagome had seen that there was a jewel shard embedded in that arm and tried to shoot it off with one of her arrows. Sesshomaru had sent a windscar towards her and had it not been for my quick thinking and fast reaction at the time, Kagome would have been killed. Lucky for me, I was able to sheild her mostly from the blast, taking the full force of the blow with my own body.

She still got hurt though. Hit her head pretty hard causing it to bleed and a lump to form. That infuriated me, and after telling Miroku to get her as far away from there as possible, I faced off with Sesshomaru, fire burning in my eyes. We went at it for a while and I was finally able to get my sword away from the bastard again. But that just earned me a gapping hole through my gut and caused Kagome to freak out. She had tried to come back and help me, but thankfully Miroku was able to restrain her to keep her from getting hurt as well.

Soon after that Sesshomaru had backed down. I was glad about that because I had fallen unconscious and it would have gotten me killed. Though I was unconscious I could still hear Kagome beside me. It was comforting. Then I felt myself being hoisted onto something then flying through the air. As I lay there, the only thing that was on my mind at the time was Naraku. I had just recently learned that he was the reason I thought Kikyou had betrayed me. Then I blacked out.

Coming back to consciousness some time later, I realized we were back in the village. When I looked over and saw Kagome resting against the wall a small smile had cracked across my face. She cared so much that she had actually stayed with me after I was all bandaged up. When I had shifted, she woke up and looked dead at me. She stared at me, and I read into what she was trying to say. What I got was, don't even think about moving. I had ignored her anyway and carefully pushed myself up out of the bedding, mindful of my still bleeding wounds.

She had been so worried about me that she didn't even care that she had a lump on the head. She had half way freaked out on me when she had seen me get up so I knew she was more concerned for my well being than her own. My Kagome, how could she be so selfless and put others before herself like that?

We sat there in silence for a moment, Kagome running through an assortment of different herbs that she said would help the healing process go faster. I just watched her, waiting for the right moment to do what I had planned. When I was sure she was doing talking, I grabbed her by her hand and pulled her into my chest. When I told her that I didn't want to lose her and threw her into the well after snatching the jewel I had felt a part of me die.

xxxx

Returning back to the village I sat with Shippo, Sango, Miroku, and their family while their children decided they wanted to pull at my ears. Damn brats.

"Could you do something about these two?" I asked, rather irritated.

"Don't pull on his ears," Miroku chided his daughters looking over at them.

"Sorry InuYasha," Sango had said looking back at me from where she was washing clothes.

Suddenly I felt something touch my shoulder. Looking up, I didn't see anything but what looked to be black hair. Kikyou. Then something familiar hit my nose. It smelled like...Kagome! Standing, I grabbed the girls by the collar of their kimonos and threw them on Shippo.

"Go slay the fox," I said dashing off in the direction of the well.

"Hey what was that for!" I heard Shippo wail behind me but I paid him no mind, I had to get to the well.

I cut through the forest, dodging trees and bushes that stood in my way. I ran past the Goshinboku, not even stopping to look at the dent in it from where I had been pinned and sealed for fifty years until Kagome came and set me free. Jumping over roots of upturning trees, I came upon the well and looked in. What I saw, was shocking. I couldn't believe it. There in the well shaft was Kagome. Or at least I hope that it was and not just an illusion like I had so many times before. Without a second thought, I reached into the well and held my hand out to Kagome. When she looked up, she smiled then clasped my hand in hers. That confirmed it. It was real. Kagome had returned and I was there to welcome her. Kikyou did not speak lies and for that, I am truly grateful to her. She brought back the one person I love. My Kagome.


	4. Chapter 4

Day broke and I walked outside to the shrine grounds after changing out of my pajamas. Standing in front of the Goshinboku tree, I let my hand run over the scar in the bark where InuYasha was pinned. Flashes of the day that we met came back to me. He had continuously called me Kikyou. A small chuckled sounded from my being. I really let him have the tongue lashing of a life time that day. Running my hand over the scar one last time, I turned and made my way to the well house. Walking down the stairs into the dark room, I saw the outline of what used to be my passage to 500 years in the past. My passage to InuYasha.

As I stood in front of the well in my time, looked down into the dark shaft for what seemed to be the millionth time of the day. Three weeks had passed since my visit with Kikyou. Three weeks and still nothing. I really, really wanted to give up hope. Then a thought hit me. What if the real reason the well had closed was because of my connection to InuYasha? Could time really want us to be separated that badly? It's unfair. I've done nothing wrong but love a hanyou. But maybe, that's where the problem lies. I've done my job. I'll have to live in a world without you. Even though InuYasha, I wish...to...see...you again. Then there was a small gust of wind. Opening my eyes I looked into the well seeing the glass blue coloured sky of the Sengoku Jidai era.

Standing there, I heard the sound of someone walking down the steps. Not even attempting to turn around and see who it was, I continued to look down into the sky of the well. I felt warm arms wrap around me and looked back to see my mother resting her chin against my shoulder. Resting my head against her chest, I continued to stare at the sky.

"Kagome," Momma said gaining my attention. "What's wrong?"

"Momma," I said still staring down into the well, "look."

Looking down herself into the well, she gasped.

"The sky," she said still staring.

We sat in silence for a little while, the wind from the well blowing through our hair.

"Momma," I said looking back at her, giving her a look that told her I've decided what I wanted to do.

"Kagome," Momma said, "it's fine."

With one final hug and a kiss goodbye to mother, I jumped into the well and was enveloped by the bright blue light that took me across time again. Back to InuYasha.

When I finally stopped and reached the bottom of the well, I stood there for a moment looking up into the bright blue sky. Mere moments later I heard a gasp above me and looked up into the face of InuYasha. My InuYasha. He reached his hand into the shaft and I jumped to grab hold of it. He again gasped realizing that I was really there and that it was no dream. He pulled me out of the well and I stood on the lip of the wooden shaft.

"InuYasha, sorry," I said a small smile spreading, "were you waiting for me?"

"Kago-" he started but stopped and pulled me into a hug.

I was happy to be back in his warm embrace.

~Epilogue~

Kagome and InuYasha walked through the village, side by side headed towards the forest of InuYasha. As they were walking, they spoke about everything that had been happening over the last three years.

"Soon after the defeat of Naraku," InuYasha said looking up into the trees, "Sango and Miroku were married. A few months after that she found out that she was carrying the twins."

"I've missed so much since I've been gone," Kagome said shifting the basket she was carrying on her waist. "I had no idea what all had been going on here since I left. I'm glad that you all were well. But what about Sesshomaru? Why didn't he take Rin with him when he left?"

"Kaede suggested that Rin stay and learn to live with humans so that she could make the proper choice when the time was right," InuYasha said tucking his hands into the sleeves of his haori.

"I see," Kagome said then looked up into the sky.

She had been back in the Sengoku Jidai for about three days now and she was still getting used to looking up into the clear blue sky. It was very different from modern day Tokyo where she was born

"_I wonder how Souta, Momma, and Grandpa are doing,_" Kagome thought to herself.

"Hey Kagome," InuYasha said gaining her attention again.

Kagome turned to look at him, her eyes growing ind width.

"InuYasha," Kagome breathed looking at the beautiful home they were standing in front of.

"It took me a while to build it but I had to do something to pass the time while you were gone," InuYasha said gesturing for her to go inside.

Kagome walked in and was awe struck by the the interior of the house. It was big. Big enough to fit herself, him, and a few kids of their own in as well. She continued to look in amazement of a while longer, not a single word escaping from her mouth. It was starting to worry InuYasha.

Kagome felt arms wrap around her and hug her tightly.

"You like it?" InuYasha asked resting his head on her shoulder.

"I love it." Kagome said pressing her cheek against his.


End file.
